


It's Time

by Andromeda_Cain



Category: The Vampire Diaries
Genre: Awesome., Gay., M/M, Relations.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2013-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 17:49:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromeda_Cain/pseuds/Andromeda_Cain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damon and Stefan love each other. They know it. We know it. If only Damon could get his damn head straight. (is it alright to cuss in a teen-rated thingie? I hope so; my story involves a lot of cussing. Enjoy, my friends. ;D)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Time to Begin, Isn't it?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Myself. ;D](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Myself.+%3BD).



> Hi! My name's Andie; I hope you might maybe probably won't but I'll still hope for it love my story! Okay, maybe love is too strong a word. Feel mild emotions about my story.

As the carriage drew up to his destination, the horses' hooves pounding against the gravel pathway, the man drew a curtain back from the window, looking out upon the scenery he hadn't been privy to for long…too long, he decided, as, with a smile, he noticed a few children playing together in a nearby field, the sun shining brightly upon their heads. He wondered when the last time was that he felt that innocent. Also too long, he thought to himself, chuckling and letting the curtain fall back in place.

He'd wanted to ride his horse back home. He'd been meaning to, until he heard from one of his friends, whom he'd been in correspondence with during his absence, that _she_ would be there. Straightening his collar, the man cleared his throat nervously, fingering at the coarse material held between his slightly shaking fingers. He always felt inadequate in her presence; she let him, too. Just one lingering glance upon a tear in his sleeve, or a passing comment about his muddied boots, could make his heart sink lower than was normal.

The man held his head in his hands, needlessly nervous. He knew this, knew she'd most likely just ignore him to get his interest piqued (not that it wasn't already) but he was still excited in his expectation of seeing a woman, especially the one he loved, after so long. He bit his lip, studying the plush insides of the carriage. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. He was still getting used to refineries; after his absence, even this seemed a little too plush for his taste. He needed a sore ass from riding his horse all day, needed companions to discuss that which was considered below the members of his class, needed to get back to war.

The carriage jolted, startling the man enough that he lost hold of his thoughts. He poked his head out the window beside him, searching for the cause. His eyes popped wide open when he realised that, as he bumbled along in his less than amiable thoughts, the carriage driver had brought the man to his destination. There it was, that large, imposing house he'd always found a little too big for his comforts, the large garden he'd spent his boyhood exploring, his family rushing out the door…oh, shit. The man quickly tucked his head back inside, taking a deep breath. Now was the time to face his demons, each and every one.

Buttoning his top button (which he usually found unbearably stifling) the man slowly exited the carriage, gracefully letting himself down the rather rickety steps, congratulating himself when he realised he'd gotten down without breaking his neck, a tough feat. His self-satisfied smile disappeared when he looked up, lost to the sight of his father's frown. Straightening his coat, the man slowly walked forward, as he saw his family members step out from behind his father. "Father," the man said, outstretching his hand and dipping his neck respectfully.

His father sighed before accepting the man's hand, his eyes dissatisfied. "Damon," he responded, quickly releasing Damon's hand from his grip. He pretended not to notice; Damon was used to his father's behavior around him. He was a disappointment, what could he say.

He turned when he heard a slight noise, finding his mother to be the source. He smiled widely, his eyes dancing with pleasure. "Mother," he stated, walking forward and enveloping her in a big hug, never mind protocol. She laughed in return, her small arms reaching around his neck and pulling him closer.

"If you ever stay to war for this long again, I'll have to come get you myself," she stated, gently reproaching him. She rubbed the back of his head, closing her eyes and relishing the fact that her son was finally home. She'd never tell him this, but she worried so terribly when he left, especially when he took so long to respond to her letters. She was always frightened that he might lose his life during one of his battles; Damon always reassured her every time he got back home that he wasn't so easy to kill off, but she still breathed a sigh of relief whenever he returned in one piece. That one time he returned with a small cut on his cheek he thought he'd never get free of her motherly arms again.

He pulled away from her, letting her cup his face in her hands gently, searching for an anomaly on his person. He smiled warmly, and she returned it when she saw that there were no scars; at least, none she could see. "I promise you, Mother, the next time I want to go to war I'll take you with me; can't take being away from your overprotectiveness for long. If I took you to battle, I think the enemy would surrender just so they wouldn't have to hear a speech over the impudence of trying to maim your eldest son," Damon responded, smiling impishly. His mother gasped around a smile and made to reply, but her husband stopped her with a firm hand.

Damon decided to move on before his father decided he'd been too kind to Damon and made him go right back to war. Smiling at his mother once more, he let first his eyes then his body travel to his brother, who'd been standing stiffly the whole time. "Come, Stefan, if you keep acting that way I might think you weren't happy to see me," Damon stated dryly, placing a hand on Stefan's shoulder. The two brothers studied each other, neither saying a word.

Their mother noticed. "Come, Giuseppe, let the two boys be," she stated, leading her husband away. He studied the two, his mouth turned down in a frown, before finally relenting to his wife and letting her take him back inside.

"Jesus, you'd think the guy didn't like me or something," Damon quipped, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. He'd never tell anyone this, but it really killed him when his father treated him this way; made it seem like a chore to greet his son at the door. Maybe the man had a reason for his hatred; Damon didn't know. Didn't really want to, either. He turned back to his brother when he noticed the younger Salvatore was shifting.

The two stared at each other like that for a bit, Stefan's bottom lip trembling slightly. Damon licked his lips, suddenly dry. "But where is Katherine?" He asked, breaking his brother's trance. Stefan shook his head, clenching his fists as his head cleared.

"She, uh," Stefan started, "she's out with some of the neighbors." Damon nodded his head, trying in vain to hide the disappointment and hurt from his face. The girl couldn't even wait a few minutes to greet Damon, who hadn't been home in six months? Damon ran a hand across his face, his demeanor shaken. Fuck, it seemed she was the only one who could do this to him.

Stefan, who had been watching his brother's anguish for too long, grabbed his forearm quickly, dragging him to the garden, the one they had both shared in their childhood, the one that if Stefan looked to always reminded him of his brother, those times they'd shared…Stefan shook his head, stalking forward with determination. "Stefan?!" Damon cried, surprise in his voice, "Stefan, where the hell are you taking me? I don't want to see the garden right now, idiot!" His words to no avail, Damon started digging his heels into the ground, grabbing at passing foliage in a vain attempt to be relinquished from his brother's grasp. Stefan just pressed on, until he reached a spot where the house's windows did not look out upon and their voices would not be heard.

He turned on his brother quickly, pushing him against a nearby tree. "Damon…" Stefan stated, his lips trembling, "Damon…" It seemed as though that was all the younger Salvatore could say; Damon studied his brother with bewildered eyes. He was used to Stefan's dramatics, but this was a little different. He wasn't used to his brother looking as though he could cry at any second.

"Stefan, what's wrong?" Damon asked, forgetting his former air of indifference. When Stefan got like this, it was normal for Damon's big brother instincts to kick in and his need to stop his brother's sadness outweighed everything else. "Stefan, seriously, tell me what's wrong," he said, letting his stance slacken and his expression soften.

Stefan studied his brother's eyes, his whole body now shaking. His conflicting feelings, his fluttering heart beating relentlessly against his ribcage, his normally useful brain…all were minor distractions when it came to Damon. These months of his absence had been agony for the young man; the thought of Damon leaving again made his insides quake and his throat constrict. His neck bent, so that his forehead rested against Damon's. Breathing deeply, Stefan let himself inhale the smell of his brother, noting the smell of gunpowder, horse, and soap that usually accompanied Damon's person. Stefan had come to love the smell. Sometimes, when Damon had been gone, he'd crept into his room in the dead of night and held one of his brother's coats against his face, breathing in the man he missed so.

His breath growing shaky with emotion, Stefan's lips parted of their own accord. "Damon…Damon, I missed you so much," he stated, his hands grabbing Damon's biceps and gripping hard, unwilling to let his brother go.

Damon's eyes widened. His brother didn't usually let himself go like this, and so far, he'd only done so when Damon truly betrayed his feelings. But Damon hadn't done anything this time, just…left. Biting his lip, Damon let his arms encircle Stefan's waist. He hadn't known just how attached Stefan was. "You know, Stefan," he started, not knowing how to continue. He'd never really been very good at realising feelings until they were apparent enough to smack him in the face. "You're still my brother. Distance isn't going to change that."

Stefan drew back, his face betraying how close to tears he was. "Damon…" he said, his breath catching as he tried to hold back his emotions. "Damon…" he said again, before his head lowered and his lips caught Damon's gently, almost reverentially.

Damon's eyes widened, caught off guard, before he found his bearings and gently pushed his brother away. "Stefan. Not again. We might have kissed each other when we were younger, and didn't really know ourselves, but we've grown. Even though we don't like it, we're both in love with Katherine, and we've grown out of our boyish nature. We—" his sentence was broken off by Stefan's lips, more urgent this time, forceful in the way they moved against Damon's. A hand slipping around his waist forced a gasp from Damon's now parted lips, granting access to Stefan's probing mouth. Rough, chapped lips moved against each other heatedly, Stefan's arms pulling Damon closer and hands exploring the planes of his back as Damon's hands almost unconsciously fisted into Stefan's shirt. It seemed rather natural when Stefan slipped his tongue in, exploring his brother's mouth in a way he hadn't in about two years. As if spurned on by this fact, Stefan deepened the kiss, his arms tightening, eyes closing, earnest feelings showing through the way he made sure he was gentle, taking care to not crush Damon's head between the tree and his own cranium.

Beyond his personal restraint, Damon let himself go, mouth reciprocating Stefan's kiss with a passion unknown to others who had had the pleasure of meeting their lips with his; his fisted hands drew Stefan lower, so they could be as close as possible. At moments when Stefan's tongue was not invading his mouth, Damon even went so far as to bite at Stefan's bottom lip, forcing himself not to draw blood. Katherine had instilled in him the idea drinking the blood of anyone but herself was wrong, at least for now.

The brothers' hands roamed each other's backs, arms, necks, hair. It seemed as though they did not need air anymore, just each other's discarded carbon dioxide. They lost the rough, forceful nature of the beginning of the kiss and soon grew gentler in their touches, running hands through hair, massaging backs, palms placing firmly on firm chests.

Just when it seemed as though they would stay together forever, a sound caught Damon's attention. His ears quirked at the sound, but didn't think much of it until it grew louder. "Damon, if you don't show yourself, I'll just have to send the dogs out for you," he heard, the unmistakable reproving yet distinguished voice of Katherine invading his ears. Damon pulled back from Stefan, using his brother's biceps to hold onto to keep himself steady.

The two, breathing hard, stared at each other, eyes speaking much more than their lips could even think to begin describing. Stefan's mouth was just opening when they heard her again, and this time closer. "Damon, I might have to punish you," Katherine stated, her tone now aggravated. The brothers looked at each other once more, before Stefan looked away, an angry, disappointed, love-sick expression on his face. Damon's expression shifted from frightened to astonished to apprehensive in the space of a few seconds.

"I…we can't do this anymore, Stefan," Damon said while looking away, biting his lip which still tasted of Stefan. Stefan's fists clenched at his sides, restraining himself from shaking Damon. He hated how this happened, how every time Damon finally rebuked him, after succumbing to his desire when the emotions grew too heated.

Stefan started to turn away, but looked back over his shoulder at the next second. "Damon…" he said, words trickling off as the two stared at each other. Suddenly, gaining courage, Stefan strode back, pulling Damon to him and placing a passionate yet gentle kiss on his brother's lips. When he pulled back, he wore an unreadable expression. "Just…don't forget the way I make you feel," Stefan whispered, placing a parting kiss on Damon's forehead before disappearing through the foliage. Just in time, for not a minute later Katherine came upon Damon, leaning against a tree and trying to regain his pose.

Katherine smiled predatorily. "Oh, Damon, I didn't realise I made you so weak in the knees that you had to hide from me," she purred, playing with his collar. Usually, Damon would have jumped at the opportunity to be drawn into one of her games, coming up with a clever enough quip to continue their flirting. For now, though, Damon's main thoughts were focused on Stefan, on the events that had transpired, things that Damon had sworn he would forget and move on from. It was wrong. It was terrible. It was incest.

"Damon?" Katherine asked, a little pissed off that her usual games weren't working on him right now. With a stutter of a heartbeat she wondered if his time spent at war had changed him, changed the devotion he felt for the vampire. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, her expression turning cold. "Maybe I'll just go inside and gift my attention to Stefan, since you're so caught up in your own thoughts you can't even greet me."

Damon's head shot up, a burst of jealousy shooting through his chest. Whether it was towards Stefan, Katherine, or both, Damon couldn't tell you, and frankly, did not want to discover it. He shook his head, his best attempt to clear his mind of all things including Stefan. "Ah, excuse me My Love, my thoughts were elsewhere," Damon apologised, a small smile on his lips.

Katherine's eyes narrowed further, studying the human. Something was obviously going on with him, more than he was telling her. She didn't like it whatsoever. Well, no matter, she'd find out tonight. Grabbing Damon's bicep, she pulled him along with her, walking toward the garden's exit. "Alright, I forgive you. Now, tell me all the adventures you went through looking after the generals," Katherine teased, resting her head on Damon's shoulder. Damon couldn't bring himself to respond, just laughed quietly. But as they left the garden, Damon couldn't help but look back to the space he'd just recently occupied with Stefan, their moment of passion still on his mind. Pressing his hand to a mark Stefan had carelessly left on his neck, Damon bit his lip. Fuck, he'd hoped this was over. At least, that was what he told himself.

* * *

It all started when they were young, very young. Stefan was four, Damon was six. They'd always been affectionate as children, holding hands when possible, sharing baths, spending all their time together. It was during one of their bouts of exploration of the garden, pretending they were army captains off to fight against the Redcoats, that it happened.

"Mister Englishman, I am sorry to say that today is the last day you will breathe," Damon stated, a smirk darkening his features.

Stefan, wearing the one red coat he owned, which his father would tan his hide for if he found out, glared cockily up at his brother. "No, Sir, I'm afraid you're wrong. It is _you_ who shall lose your life!" Stefan cried out in a terrible version of and English accent. The two held each other at wooden sword-point, both convinced they could end the other's life.

The boys always switched off in their roles, and today was Stefan's day to play the part of the Englishman. He didn't mind, though; he loved seeing Damon in his dashing blue coat, losing himself in their imaginations and finding a regal yet dark sort of side to himself.

Damon responded to Stefan's comment with a wicked laugh, his eyes glinting with danger as his wrist twitched, his sword moving in for the kill only to be rebuffed by Stefan's own sword. The two glared at each other, studying the other and guessing at what move he would make, when they suddenly heard the sound of their father's voice. "If those boys are ruining their good clothes, I'll make a mark on their rear ends so dark they won't be able to sit down for weeks!"

The boys shared terrified looks, both knowing their father would make good on his promise. Foregoing their swords, the two grabbed hands and ran further into the garden, towards a hiding place they'd discovered not long ago. They ducked into the foliage, squirming in and squeezing tight together as they heard their father walk through the garden, his steps growing closer to their spot. The two brothers placed a hand on the other's mouth to make sure none made a sound. Their hearts beat faster as their father passed by, extremely loud to their sensitive ears. They were afraid that their father might find them out just due to their erratic heartbeats. They saw his feet stop next to their hiding place, sensing his large and encroaching form close above them. Finally, he left, off to investigate a sound he heard further away.

The boys sank, their bodies losing the tension they had so recently worn. They looked to each other, a cautious look on Stefan's face and a gloating one on Damon's. "Hah, he didn't even realise we were right under his nose!" Damon exclaimed, courage suddenly returning now that his father could no longer find him.

Stefan smiled slowly, shaking his head. "That was close," he pointed out, rubbing his arms to get rid of the goose bumps that had arisen at the thought of his father's punishment.

"Close, but no cigar," Damon stated proudly, grinning. Stefan grinned back, gaining courage at his brother's cockiness. Suddenly, he thought to himself that now was a good time to kiss Damon. And so he did, leaning forward to place a light peck on Damon's lips. It was a slow, innocent, love-filled little kiss that spoke wonders of the affections the two brothers had for each other.

When they finally pulled away, Damon's hand touched his lips, warmed from his brother's. He'd never thought of kissing his brother before, but now that they had, he wanted to again. So he leaned forward, placing his own innocent kiss on Stefan's lips.

Soon it turned into a sort of game, the two brothers stealing kisses from each other, each tallying up how many they had stolen. The fact that they enjoyed the kisses was a bonus; they would have done it just so they could one-up each other. They finally stopped when the sun started to set, breathless with laughter.

"I think we'd better get home now; dinner should be ready. We're probably in a lot of trouble already," Damon stated, pulling away from his brother's embrace, whose arms had seemed to unconsciously wrap around his older brother.

Stefan nodded, hugging his arms to himself. Now that they weren't in contact, Stefan realised how wrong that felt to himself. The only time he felt alright was when Damon was as close as possible. Stefan's lower lip trembled, his eyes suddenly watering. Damon noticed, his eyes widening. "Wah…Stefan, what's wrong with you?" He cried out, his expression disbelieving yet concerned.

Wiping at his eyes futilely, Stefan stuttered out his answer. "I-I duh-don't wan-na let yuh-you go," he stated, starting to leak tears.

Damon's eyes widened further, before he bit his lip and smiled lovingly. He pulled his younger brother to himself, stroking his hair. "Don't worry," he stated, kissing the top of Stefan's head, "we'll always be together. I'm your big brother. I'll never let you go."

* * *

"Stefan, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Damon's voice was heard from above, and Stefan looked up to the staircase, a questioning look on his face. When Damon appeared at the banister, Stefan sighed.

"What, Damon? What now?" He asked, exasperation in his voice.

"Don't 'what' me, _Little_ Brother," Damon seethed, placing emphasis on the word "Little" to make Stefan feel inadequate, "You know I told you time and again that I don't like it when you spill things on the carpet and don't clean up! This shit cost money, not that you'd care, Mr. _Teenage Dream_ ," Damon bit out.

Sighing, Stefan placed the book he'd been pretending to read on the table, leaning back in his chair. He'd been caught up in memories of what had once been, and it was kind of hard to keep his mind on the present when the past was so much more tempting to him. "Alright, Mr. _Alcoholic Vampire_ , I'll clean up after myself when you leave me and my girlfriend alone." He hated doing this, but it seemed to be the only thing that kept Damon engaged these days.

Stefan got the reaction he'd been hoping for. Damon's face grew furious, a side-effect of the fact that he refused to show sorrow anymore. He couldn't let Stefan know how shit like that affected him; then he would be the weak one, not the pussy who drank bunny blood to make himself feel good enough to attend high school…again. "Maybe it's not me who needs to leave people alone; maybe you'll remember, Brother, that every time you move some place different, it's _you_ who brings trouble."

Ah, Damon had him on that one. He really did get all the people he met into trouble. Sighing, Stefan ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure where to go from here; he never really did enjoy insulting Damon, or being insulted by him in turn. It's just, how else were you supposed to communicate with someone who refused to accept his feelings for someone? Stefan bit his lip, a habit he'd picked up from Damon (probably from staring at the older vampire too much) as he tried to remember the last time he'd gotten a decent conversation out of his brother, one that didn't involve the threat of one of his human friend's lives, or God forbid, Elena's.

None. He couldn't think of one time they talked, actually spoke to each other without tearing down each other's confidence. Damn, but Stefan missed it. Missed being able to talk to the one person who actually understood him, who actually accepted him for who he was, who actually loved him so much he would pretend he didn't.

Stefan looked to Damon, a look of complete sorrow in his eyes. Damon caught the look, shrinking back from the banister at the sight. 'Goddammit, Stefan,' he thought, running a hand through his hair, 'You're really not making this easy for me. How the hell am I supposed to continue pretending to hate you?' He sighed, shaking his head. At times like these, it was best for him to just leave. That way, nothing remotely unacceptable could happen.

He strode down the stairs, purpose in his stride. Stefan gazed questioningly at him, that sad look still on his face. Damon ignored his brother, grabbing his coat and making for the door. Stefan was faster.

Stepping in between his elder brother and the door, Stefan crossed his arms, a look saying 'I will not budge until you tell me what the hell you're doing' etched across his face. Damon sighed, placing his hands on his temples in frustration. "You have no need to know where I'm going! I'm not your goddamn child, or your friend, or your goddamn girlfriend! Now leave me the fuck alone, Stefan!" He pushed Stefan out of his way, again walking to the door. Stefan caught his wrist.

"I wasn't the one who made that decision, Damon," Stefan stated, that sad look back in his eyes.

Not thinking due to his anger, Damon huffed out a breath. He got impatient easily. "What decision, _Little_ Brother?"

Stefan bit his lip again, eyes somehow growing even more sorrowful. "I wasn't the one who rejected you."

Damon's eyes widened, his mouth open in shock. Fuck, but he hadn't expected that. It was a sort of unspoken rule, 'Don't talk about their past.' Stefan just kind of fucked that up. Damon's mouth opened and closed, searching for his thoughts; Stefan really bowled him over. Finally, Damon realised he'd allowed Stefan to hold his wrist for much too long. He pulled it away, wiping at it as though it was infected. "Well, I guess you didn't. I did. So leave me the fuck alone." Damon stormed out of the house, slamming the door on his brother, his arm still outstretched, as though he thought Damon might return to his senses and admit to his feelings. Shaking his head and rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes (he supposed he got something in them as he left; that was the only explanation he could think of for the moisture behind them) Damon stalked off, not knowing exactly what his destination was, and really not caring. He just had to get the fuck away from Stefan before he lost his self-restraint


	2. This Road Never Looked So Lonely

Twenty shots of whiskey later, Damon had a light buzz going on that he was thoroughly enjoying. Looking to 'What's-Her-Face' (he hadn't wasted his time listening to her introduction) Damon smiled slowly, eyes a deep blue, flecks of green and grey floating about. They always turned this way when he drank; made the chicks he was flirting with that much more attracted to him. "Stefan Who?" Damon said to her, ignoring her confused glance. He didn't need intellect tonight, just some stupid chick ready to get drunk then jump his bones.

The girl, whom I will call Girl (Hey, if men can have the name "Guy" girls can have the name "Girl".) rubbed a hand against Damon's bicep, practically purring. "Gawsh, Damon, yerr muschles are jusht sho _big_ ," she stated, blinking her eyes in what she thought was an appealing way. In reality, it looked as though she had something in her eye. Whatever. As stated, Damon didn't really care about Girl's IQ, just her ability in the sack. And she looked like she had some experience.

Winking, Damon let a hand trail across the back of her neck, his fingertips whispering against the tiny sensitive hairs. She shivered, staring him down in a way that told Damon he would be getting lucky tonight. Like he didn't already know. In response to her slurred statement, Damon grinned sexily. "They're not all that are big," he flirted, letting his hand rest on the small of her back.

As if it was the funniest joke she heard, Girl started laughing maniacally, her head thrown back, unknowingly enhancing her breast size. Damon supposed he should be turned on by that when, in fact, he found it a little repulsive. He hated boobs. But, he'd decided to pretend to be straight, if it would convince Stefan that he didn't love him. Never mind the fact that wasn't even true.

Damon shook his head, clearing it of all thoughts of Stefan. The only reason he had sex with strangers was so he could forget his brother; so why the hell was he thinking of the bastard?

A voice startled Damon from his thoughts. "Oh, no, you're taking advantage of another college student who doesn't know your past, aren't you Damon?" Damon swiveled in his seat, grinning when he saw the only man he considered a friend.

"'Sup, Ric?" Damon asked, his eyes hooded. Alaric shook his head, sitting on the other side of Damon, ordering a bottle of scotch. "You planning on sharing that?" Damon queried, a passing thought.

Alaric sputtered out a laugh. "You think I'm actually gonna fund your little sex-brigade? No thanks, I'd rather sit with my alcohol than aid you in getting in some random chick's pants." As an afterthought, Alaric leaned across the bar, looking toward Girl. "No offense," he added, his expression serious.

"Hunh?" Girl asked. She' d been hypnotized, watching as Damon's leg muscles tensed when he kicked his feet against the chair petulantly. He would have enjoyed the night more if Alaric wouldn't point out how sad the vampire was.

Alaric just shook his head, already weary of the people Damon associated himself with. And that was just it; Damon was better than every single person he went to bed with. For some reason, the vampire sought people of average looks with less than average intelligence, took them to bed, then came back the next day for another bedmate. This was something Alaric didn't understand; at first, he'd just chalked it up to loneliness, but there seemed to be another motive behind Damon's promiscuity. Alaric just didn't know it. And it killed the History teacher.

Damon's eyes met Alaric's, smiling before he downed a whole portion of scot—hey, wait a minute… "Did you just steal my drink?" Alaric asked, his eyebrows raising dangerously.

Damon giggled, enjoying himself way too much. At times, especially after he'd had a few drinks in him, a playful side to Damon emerged, something that wasn't seen very often. Alaric decided he liked this side of Damon; he didn't show it around just anyone (Girl didn't count; she probably wouldn't remember 90 percent of what happened tomorrow) and it just showed how comfortable he was with Alaric to let his friend see it. Taking a sip of the scotch himself, Alaric looked over to the vampire, a questioning look on his face. Damon noticed.

"What's up?" He asked, taking a sip of a margarita Girl had ordered. He made a face as he swallowed; shit, that was rank.

Alaric smiled, then his expression turned serious. "Damon…would you consider us friends?" He asked, suddenly feeling the need to know just how close they were.

Damon's eyebrows raised, surprised. Well, that was unexpected. Damon's eyes squinted, studying the man next to him. "Why?" He asked, not trusting his friend all of a sudden.

Alaric shrugged, making a noncommittal noise. In all honesty, he didn't really know why he'd posed the question either. Other than the fact that he'd always wondered if he was the only person in Damon's life who was allowed to see all sides of the vampire, good and bad, dark and light. "Just answer the question, Douche," Alaric stated, playfully shoving Damon's shoulder.

Damon chuckled, then looked over to Girl. Somewhere in between the process of drooling over Damon's crotch and sipping her drink, she'd passed out on the bar, most of her alcohol dumped into her hair and shirt. Noting that she couldn't hear, Damon turned back to Alaric, ignoring the fact that she needed to be taken care of. That could happen later.

"God, if you wanna go all Oprah Winfrey on me, fine, let's discover the depth of our relationship," Damon stated, smirking.

"Hey, I didn't know you vampires kept up with pop culture," Alaric noted, smiling.

Damon waved his friend off with a dismissive gesture. "Oh, come on, who hasn't heard of the great big black Buddha of all women?" Damon asked. "Seriously, I'll get chicks sometimes who want to enlighten me on all things Oprah, like what book or fashion item is in these days," he sighed, glad he could complain about this. He obviously couldn't bring it up with his conquests.

Alaric sighed, showing how little he cared. Damon snorted. "Fine, let's get to it. If you have to know, I think of you as the best friend I've ever known," Damon blurted out, hiding his face in his glass as he downed it.

Alaric's mouth opened of its own accord, surprise etching his features. He obviously wasn't expecting this. Shaking his head, Alaric studied his buddy. For some reason, he felt…honored. Damon's affections weren't all that easy to come by. Suddenly, Alaric grinned. "Ditto, Man," he stated, clapping Damon on the shoulder.

Their awkwardness over, the two best friends looked to each other, grinning. A snort broke their attention, bringing it to the snoozing chick. She snored, mumbling random words in her sleep. Damon grinned. "Guess that's my cue to leave," Damon stated, and with that he stood up, picked the girl up and threw her over his shoulder, calling out a goodbye to his friend, walking off to his house and the sexy goodtimes that would accompany his return.

* * *

Rolling over in bed, Damon groaned. Last night had been terrible; even though the girl looked like a prostitute, her sex skills needed much refinement. Damon had tried to teach her a little something during the night, but it all went over her head. Finally, he'd just given up, pushing her to her own side of the bed and curling up on his own, definitely not in the mood to cuddle with Girl.

But it seemed that somehow over the night she had gravitated toward him, so that she had an arm and leg thrown around his body, her open mouth drooling across his hair and ear. Damon shuddered, feeling disgusting. Sometimes, random sex with strangers sucked. Extremely.

Extricating himself from the comatose human, Damon rose, stretching as, nude, he walked to his bathroom, throwing his shower door open. If there ever was a time for a shower, now was it. He stepped under the water, letting it and soap cleanse himself from last night.

When he finished, Damon stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel loosely around his waist. He walked back into his room, only to be surprised to find Girl stretched out in one of his button ups. One he hadn't even worn yet. Jesus, did the chick rifle through his drawers? Sighing, Damon feigned a smile. "Did I wake you?" He asked, using a smaller towel to dry his hair.

Girl flounced her hair, which did nothing but mess it up even more. "Oh, no, I'm actually an early riser," she stated, doing that thing with her eyelashes again. Damon controlled his urge to roll his eyes.

"That so," he responded quietly, already done with the conversation. He pulled some clothes out of a drawer, put them on, then walked to the door, all the while ignoring the eyes that followed him throughout his ministrations.

As he was opening the door to leave, Girl spoke up. "Hey, what should I do?" She asked, her voice sultry.

Damon turned back to her, his expression impatient. Seems Girl wasn't used to being thrown out after a one night stand. "You should get out of my shirt, put your clothes on, then leave," he stated, refraining from Compelling her. Girl gasped, her mouth opening and closing at the rudeness of her former bedmate. Damon smirked, shrugging, as if to say, 'What did you expect?' With that, the vampire left his room, yawning as he made his way to the basement; he could use a snack. Girl's blood tasted like shit.

* * *

Stefan lay in bed wide awake, his eyes hooded in a mix of anger, jealousy, and absolute depression. With his super acute hearing, it wasn't hard to hear the giggles, banging around, and ineffective "Shh!"s that accompanied Damon and his hussy as they came home for their nightly romp in the sack.

Groaning into the crook of his elbow, Stefan's eyes closed, feeling agonized. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night, but instead stayed up to listen to his brother have sex with an ugly, stupid, whore. Never mind the fact that Stefan had never seen Girl before.

Stefan's ears perked when they heard movements; it seemed Damon had awoken without Stefan's knowledge. He listened to his older brother insult the girl (served her right) then head downstairs, probably for some blood. He heard the girl get up finally, hurriedly change back into her clothes, then leave the room. Perfect.

Jumping up, Stefan raced outside his room, just in time to "bump into" the whore. He feigned surprise. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you Damon's girlfriend?" Stefan made his face seem impartial.

Girl had trouble keeping her breath. Jesus, two beautiful boys in one house? Damn, if only he'd been able to join them last night. Girl's cheeks reddened as she looked down, hoping she looked shy yet sexy. She failed. "I, um, no…"

Stefan hid his grimace, masking it with a smile. "Okay. Then get the fuck out of this house."

Girl looked up, shock in her expression. "Hu, huh?" She asked, unwilling to believe both boys were two-faced.

Stefan's smile grew sweeter. "You heard me, Bitch. Get the fuck out of here before I throw you out myself." Stefan's smile suddenly turned dark, danger in his expression.

Girl squeaked, rushing down the stairs and out the door. She left him with this: "You're both assholes!" Not the most eloquent way of stating it, but you must forgive her. She was extremely exhausted from trying to keep up with the weird guys.

Stefan walked down the stairs, stopping at the last one down. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Jesus, he hated every single bitch Damon brought home.

As if waiting for such a thought, Damon surfaced from the basement, leaning against the doorframe. His smirk told everything he didn't say. "Nice to know you're still around to pick up after my meal," he stated, straightening and walking to his liquor cabinet. Stefan followed, sitting on a couch.

"You know, Damon, maybe next time you go to one of your prostitute's houses, and leave ours untainted," Stefan proclaimed, not really meaning it. If Damon did that, how could he keep track of his older brother?

Damon smirked against his glass. "Mm, I will if you stop making out with Elena here every second you get," Damon bargained. He actually did mean it; it killed him when he walked in to see his idiotic brother with his hands and lips all over the human.

Stefan shifted in his seat, studying his brother, who was refilling his glass already. As a side thought, Stefan wondered to himself, questioning what exactly had driven his brother to drinking so much. As if he didn't already know. Stefan decided not to reply to Damon's last statement, instead sitting back in his seat. He had something else he wanted to say. "So, Elena's invited us down to her cabin…"

Damon's hand stopped, his glass frozen halfway to his mouth. "Why the hell would she bring me? Did she finally decide to pick the better Salvatore?" Damon asked, hiding his surprise behind a thinly veiled joke.

Stefan's mouth twisted. In fact, it had been his idea to invite Damon. Elena's eyes had narrowed; she didn't trust Damon and had been expecting her Christmas Break to involve a bunch of sex out in the woods with no one else around. At first, she'd been skeptical, until Stefan quickly added all their other friends, so it would be a sort of 'party'. Finally, she'd relented, if only so she could continue making out with the vampire. Stefan returned to the present. "So, what do you say, you wanna go?" He asked, trying to hide how badly he wanted his brother to come. Since the two started living with each other, Stefan had become accustomed to seeing Damon every day, and didn't want it to stop.

Damon's eyes closed, a world-weary expression on his perfect face. "What, spend a whole week trapped with a horny human and equally horny vampire, who are just going to jump each other's bones and leave me to converse with the animals who allow you to suckle from their neck?"

Stefan gritted his teeth. He realized the only thing that would make Damon want to come. "You can bring any whore that you want along with you," Stefan stated, hating himself for giving Damon the ability to do this. Every single girl Damon brought home with him tore another hole in Stefan's already abused heart.

Damon's face alighted in a sleazy smile, somehow attractive even in its lewdness. "Any whore?" Damon asked, keeping his eyes trained on Stefan.

It had been a while since Damon had graced Stefan with a long, emotional stare. Stefan's heart nearly exploded as his neck reddened, his crotch enjoying the attention as well. "Y- well, yeah," Stefan stuttered out, licking his lips as he stared at his brother.

Damon grinned triumphantly. "Then I pick Girl!" He stated, crossing his arms triumphantly.

Stefan was afraid to ask. "Girl?"

"Yeah, the chick you just threw out," Damon stated, finding a sick pleasure in the anger and jealousy that seemed to roil off of Stefan's body. Even if he couldn't have his brother, that didn't mean Damon didn't enjoy playing with his emotions. It was a Damon-thing, something you wouldn't understand.

Stefan's hands gripped his seat, his lips a tight line. Somehow, he found the strength to growl out, "Sure. Sounds great."

Damon grinned, a sad little victory for the elder vampire. Damon didn't question his motives, instead choosing to stand up, refill his glass, down it, then walk languidly to the door. "Better go catch her before I loser her; I don't even know her real name," he stated, and with that he left, leaving Stefan to stuff his head in a pillow, his silent scream a picture of just how pent-up his feelings for Damon were. It was killing him.

* * *

The door to the SUV slammed, startling Stefan from his thoughts, something about how many ways he could think of to kill Girl. None of them were gentle. He looked over to Damon, who was busy whispering naughty things only she and Stefan could hear in her ear, making Stefan's face turn absolutely livid. He was about to stalk up to them and interrupt them from their little sexual encounter, when Elena suddenly walked up, pulling her arms around his waist.

"Stefan, I'm really excited about this week. I just hope we can have some alone time," she said, and Stefan looked up to all the friends they were bringing with them, which included Jeremy and all the ghosts that hung around him. Jeremy suddenly turned to thin air, smiling shyly and saying something in a whisper. It freaked Stefan out.

He turned his face back to Elena, smiling. "Don't worry, Elena, we will," he promised, his heart not really in it. He could still hear Damon's voice, low mutterings of all the naughty things he'd do to Girl forcing Stefan to keep his groin covered at all times and eliciting a prominent frown to appear on his face. Fucking cunt, thinking she was good enough for Da—"Damon, quit sexing your chick up and get your shit in the car; I'd like to leave before midnight," Stefan called, beyond his self-restraint.

Damon slowly turned to his brother, frowning. He was about to respond, when Girl tugged on his shirt. "Oh, come on Damon, the faster you pack up the faster we can make out in the back," she pointed out, smiling provocatively. Oh, now she found out how to look attractive. Stefan's blood boiled.

Damon grinned, the fact that he was pissing off yet turning his brother on forcing his feelings to become as buoyant as a fat man in floating in the ocean God, he loved setting his brother off. "You've got a point there, Girl," Damon stated, kissing her on the lips before throwing his shit in the car, pulling her into the back with him.

Stefan gritted his teeth in anger, watching the two make out through the car's tinted window. Elena squeezed his hand, demanding his attention. He turned to her, expression impatient. "Should we leave now?" She asked innocently, studying her boyfriend, surprised by how weird he was acting.

Stefan sighed, running a hand through his hair. Right, he was supposed to be a good boyfriend. "Um, yeah, that sounds good," he responded, and soon everyone was herded up, managing to fit themselves into three cars, and they were on their way to the lakehouse.

* * *

By the time they reached the cabin, Stefan's hands were shaking. During the whole car ride, he'd been forced to listen to Damon and Girl making out, seeming not to need air since they didn't leave each others' face for a second. As he parked the car, Stefan made sure to lurch, causing Damon and Girl to finally part. "Jesus, Stefan, work on your driving," Damon commented, wiping a speck of blood off his lip; Girl had accidentally bit it when her mouth lost its hold on him.

Stefan flipped a finger to the backseat. Jeremy smirked, amusement finally finding its way to his features. He'd been stuck in the back with the two sex addicts, and he hadn't exactly enjoyed it. Except for the fact that Damon was in the middle and sometimes the side of his body was smooshed against Jeremy's.

All the teenagers, vampires, witches, and werewolves filed out of their respective vehicles, stretching their bodies, sore from the long drive. Amidst the rowdy conversations, they somehow made it to the cabin, inside, and dumped their shit off in their rooms, reconvening in the living room to sit on couches with their bedmate, the only exception being Jeremy, who sat in an armchair with Anna perched on the arm. "I know you like Damon," she stated, startling Jeremy enough to call attention to him.

When everyone's eyes left him, Jeremy whipped his head to Anna, his expression furious. "You don't know what you're talking about," Jeremy fury-whispered, his eyes warning Anna she was treading in dangerous water.

The ghost ignored him. "Come on, anyone who studies you like me would know how you feel about him; you practically got a boner from just sitting next to him, for God's sake," Anna stated, leaning back on the chair.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. "I'm only going to say this once: I'm not gay. I'm not into men. There's no way I'm into _him_ ," Jeremy stated in a whisper, making sure to omit any names so no ears could pick up on it.

Anna snorted. "Sure, Buddy, whatever you say."

Jeremy shook his head. "I thought you were supposed to be in love with me," he commented, a confused yet angry expression on his face.

Anna shrugged. "Kinda hard to stay in love with a gay guy," she said. "Actually, I like Neil Patrick Harris, so yeah, maybe it is just you," she amended, patting Jeremy's head affectionately.

Jeremy pouted, folding his arms and slouching in his chair. "You make me mad," he stated, refusing to speak to Anna any longer.

Across the room, Damon was starting to become annoyed with Girl. The way she had her hands all over him, possessive in their gentle caresses, made Damon want to tie her up and throw her in a room so she could think over her actions. Instead, he placed a small peck on her lips before getting up, claiming the need for fresh air. In reality, he wanted to get away from Girl for a while.

Stepping onto the back porch, Damon took a deep breath, taking in the splendor of the lake, black and glistening in the darkness. Damon smiled; he'd always loved the outdoors, and always reveled in how human it could make him feel. "Close, but no cigar," Damon muttered to himself, a phrase he used often as a child. It always made Stefan giggle; back then, he lived to make his younger brother giggle. Now he lived to make his little brother furious in his sexual frustration. Damon chuckled to himself, thinking back to Stefan's expression today, how cute he looked when he got ruffled up by Damon's ruses.

The door behind Damon slid open. He turned around, to stand face to face with Jeremy. The kid smiled, before closing the door behind him and stepping up to Damon, leaning against the railing next to him. "What were you laughing about?" He asked, studying the vampire.

Damon considered his options as to what he could tell the kid, when he realized he didn't actually have to. "None of your business, Gilbert," Damon stated, looking away from the teenager to study the ripples on the lake.

Jeremy shrugged. "Fair enough," he responded, backing off without nagging him over the details of every single one of Damon's thoughts. Well, that was refreshing.

Looking to the kid again, Damon smiled, a real one for once. "Thanks, Kid," he said, bumping shoulders with Jeremy.

Jeremy's eyes widened, his cheeks blushing of their own accord. "Wuh…what was that for?" He asked, his eyes never leaving Damon's.

Damon's smile widened. "Girl was really pissing off since she wouldn't get off my goddamn case; I forgot how chill guys can be," he commented, his last sentence more to himself than his companion.

Jeremy's heart fluttered. "So, trouble in paradise?" He asked, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck.

Damon sighed. "Now when did you get the idea Girl was my paradise?" He asked, before laughing. He looked to Jeremy again, his eyes playful for a change. Jeremy found he couldn't keep his eyes off them. "I guess I could have found a better companion for this," he stated, smiling.

Jeremy's breath caught in his lungs; for some reason, he'd lost the function to breathe. All he could do was study Damon, his mysterious, deep blue eyes; straight nose; five o' clock shadow; muscled body; finally, his full, luscious, chapped, red lips…without seeming to think, Jeremy found himself leaning forward and placing his lips on Damon's, his eyes closed so he could appreciate the moment before he was smashed to a pulp for kissing a straight man. After a few seconds, Jeremy was surprised to find that instead of beating him to the ground, Damon was actually reciprocating the kiss.

It seems Damon had been in more need of a male lover than he would care to admit. Losing himself in the rough, lipstick-less sensation of Jeremy's lips, Damon pressed closer to the teen, his hands fisting into Jeremy's shirt.

Deciding to enjoy Damon's moment of insanity, Jeremy deigned to wrap his arms around Damon's waist, bending the vampire's body so he could deepen the kiss, invade Damon's entire mouth. Surprisingly, the vampire complied, shifting his neck so Jeremy had better access. He moaned a sexy moan, running his hands through the teenager's short hair, preferring it much more than the long, difficult-to-maneuver hair of Girl.

Before they could continue, Damon pulled away from Jeremy, panting a little. Jeremy, on the other hand, was heaving in breaths; they'd been making out for a while. Damon smiled. "Yeah, that was way better than anything else I've done in a while," he commented, leaning against the railing again.

Jeremy's blood seemed to be dancing; just the fact that Damon liked the kiss made his penis jump in excitement. Damn his hormones. He struggled to keep his cool, trying to stay "chill". He copied Damon, resting his elbows on the railing and folding his hands in front of him.

Damon laughed at Jeremy. "Come on, stop trying to look cool; I know what my kisses do to people. I'm surprised you didn't faint or something," he stated, half-joking.

Jeremy turned to Damon, serious. "I almost did," he responded, staring deeply into Damon's eyes with an emotion not quite similar to anything he'd ever experienced before.

This surprised Damon. He wasn't used to people being so direct; where were the games, the insults, the thinly veiled innuendoes? Suddenly, Damon realized. That only occurred with Stefan.

Shaking his head, Damon dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking a little. Shit, he hadn't enjoyed himself with another person this much in such a long time. This is what Stefan did to him; this is the reason he stayed away from his younger brother most of his life. Stefan always forced his cruel nature out. But, the alternative of being close to Stefan always made Damon feel weak, so he stuck with his brother, always "trying to ruin his life" and shit like that. Fuck, when was the last time he actually enjoyed the person he slept with?

Jeremy studied Damon, unsure as to what he should do. Tentatively, he lifted a hand to the middle of Damon's shoulder blades, rubbing slow circles in the space. Damon looked up, staring at Jeremy with an unreadable expression. Thankfully, though, it seemed Jeremy's hand calmed Damon down enough to stop his shaking shoulders. Jeremy didn't presume to ask what was wrong, and that made Damon like the kid even more. Making a decision, Damon straightened, staring into Jeremy's eyes. "Wanna sleep with me tonight?" He asked point-blank.

Jeremy's eyes widened, his whole countenance seemed to darken to a deep shade of red, his penis jumped to life, and his heart seemed to lose control of itself, beating so erratically Damon worried the kid would have a heart attack. "Yuh—you wanna have sex? So soon?" He asked, hands shaking.

Damon laughed. "I was actually joking, but now that I think of it…it would be nice to sleep with a man again. Been a while since I did that," he stated, remembering past days with a fond yet bitter smile.

Jeremy's blush deepened. "I, uh, I…uh…"

Damon laughed, feeling compelled to kiss the hormonal kid on the lips. So he did. "Don't worry. We don't have to do anything sexual yet; I'd just like a companion tonight, especially since I'm sending Girl home."

Jeremy smiled slowly through his blush, pleased with the fact that Damon thought they would have a future, and that he would send away his bimbo just for Jeremy. Damon smirked. Jesus, this kid was easy. But it wasn't the easy he experienced with horny chicks at the bar; rather, it was cute, the fact that he was so affected by Damon turning the vampire on. He smiled, leaning in to place a tiny bite on the kid's neck before straightening up, running a hand through Jeremy's hair, and stepping through the door, refusing to look back. He headed off toward the living room, ready to Compel Girl into going home. Suddenly, he bumped into the chick, who was crying a flood of tears.

While Damon and Jeremy had their moment outside, indoors, Anna had come up with a plan. She'd learned a few tricks in purgatory, and so knew how to touch objects. She spent the night torturing Girl, tugging on her hair, spilling things on her, making her trip. No one believed Girl when she tried to say it wasn't her fault when she flinched from a particularly painful tug on her hair and accidentally hit someone in the face; rather, they glared at her, before turning away from her and ignoring her for the rest of the night. Soon, it became too much for Girl. Exactly as Anna had planned.

"I'm leaving this haunted place! Your friends are douchebags who don't give a fuck, anyway. I called a taxi, it's waiting outside, call me if you ever want a casual bang." Girl hurried her words, placed a kiss on Damon's cheek, then left the house, shivering. She hated paranormal shit.

Damon stood in the hallway, a little shocked. He wasn't planning on this; he thought he'd have to deal with a few tears and maybe a scene if she was dramatic enough. Yet for some reason, she thought she was being haunted. "Thank you random ghosts," Damon said to the air, before walking into the living room, ignoring the others and sitting in the chair Jeremy had occupied, leaning his chin on his hand as he thought. He needed some time to reflect over how Jeremy affected him before he went to bed with him.

* * *

Across the room, Stefan studied his brother, who wore a smug grin as he stared off, not really there. Stefan's eyes narrowed. He himself was ecstatic that Girl had left, but…Stefan hadn't been expecting Damon to be so happy as well. If anything, Stefan thought for sure Damon would have left with Girl; that's why the couch bore gouge marks on the underside of one of its cushions. Stefan had been tensed, wondering if he would cut the trip short if Damon left. He felt almost positive he would have.

Suddenly, Jeremy walked into the living room, a bottle of water in his hand. He chugged a few gulps, walking immediately over to Damon and sitting against his chair. Odd.

Stefan watched as Damon looked down to Jeremy, smiling. He caught most of the words Damon whispered to the teen. "—work you up that much?" Jeremy's answering blush troubled Stefan. Had the two spoken while Stefan was preoccupied trying to convince Girl to leave?

Suddenly, Damon's next actions caused many reactions. He grabbed Jeremy's bottle, snagging a sip of it himself. Anyone who knew Damon knew he almost never shared drinks with other people. Jeremy blushed profusely, a secret smile of pleasure gracing his features.

Stefan dug his fingers into the cushion underneath him, gripping it so hard his fingers went through the material, digging into his palms, causing them to bleed. Elena gasped when she saw this. "Oh my god, Stefan, what happened?" She cried, picking up one of Stefan's hands, already healed.

All the living room's inhabitants looked up to the couple then, interested. Stefan cleared his throat, pointedly avoiding Damon's questioning eyes. In all the years they had been together, Damon had never tortured Stefan by being with another man. So why now? Why Elena's brother for Christ's sake? Stefan shook his head, shutting his eyes against the thoughts invading his mind.

He stood up suddenly, startling everyone. "I, uh, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Night, everyone," he stated, stalking off to his and Elena's room, slamming it behind him.

With a worried look, Elena stood up as well. "I think I'll go check up on him," she stated, leaving.

After that, the whole group seemed to lose their drive, couples soon drifting off to their respective rooms, ready to enjoy the real reason they'd all come to the isolated cabin.

Finally, everyone departed until only Damon and Jeremy were left. Damon smiled down to Jeremy. "Let's go," he stated, standing up and pulling Jeremy with him. Spots of red on his cheeks, Jeremy complied, cherishing the fact that Damon led him to his room, hand in hand.

When they reached the room, Jeremy stood awkwardly at the door, unsure as to what he should do. Damon, at ease with himself, pulled his shirt and pants off, so he was only in his boxers. He pulled out two pairs of pajama pants, throwing one to Jeremy. "Go ahead and take care of yourself in the bathroom," Damon commanded, turning away from the flustered teenager.

Still blushing, Jeremy followed orders, unable to keep his eyes off Damon's body as he made his way to the bathroom. He kept watching the vampire as he brushed his teeth with Damon's toothbrush, changed, and took a quick piss, before walking back out to find Damon sitting on the bed, texting someone. He looked up when Jeremy appeared.

"'Mkay, bedtime?" Damon asked, smiling peacefully.

Jeremy smiled as well. "Yeah, sounds good," he stated, getting into the other side of the bed. Damon turned off the side lamp, leaving the room in darkness except for the moonlight shining down from the big window next to Damon's side, giving the vampire an ethereal glow. Jeremy found it hard to breathe as he kept staring at the beautiful man.

Suddenly, Damon pulled Jeremy to him, placing a passionate kiss on the teenager's lips. When they broke away, Jeremy was breathing hard. "Wuh…what was that for?" He queried, eyes finding it hard to focus due to his pleasure and lack of oxygen.

Damon's responding grin melted Jeremy's bones. "They way you were looking at me was nice," he stated, pecking the kid on the lips.

Jeremy blushed. "It's just 'cuz you're so beautiful, you know? I never really got to appreciate your beauty until now."

Damon's eyes widened at the truthful nature of Jeremy's statement. He was so unused to such honesty that he had a hard time believing Jeremy. But, somehow, the kid's face showed no hint of a lie as he stared at Damon, a passionate feeling evoking from his hooded eyes. If he really wanted, Damon could have had sex with Jeremy in no time. Surprisingly, Damon felt no need.

Obviously he wanted to, but for some reason he felt that sex didn't need to be pushed right away. Jeremy wasn't really mentally ready for it yet, anyway. Smiling, Damon pressed a kiss to Jeremy's closed lips, before snuggling into the kid's surprisingly muscled chest, content with falling asleep in his arms.

"'Night, Damon."

"Shut up, Gilbert."


	3. Giving the Commodities a Raincheck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stone me with virtual bricks. I forgot to update AO3. I still love you guys! >3

They were young, Stefan twelve, Damon fourteen. Just above the age of growing out of sharing the same room, yet not mature enough that Stefan couldn't break that rule a few times. Tonight was one of those times. Peeking his head around his doorframe, Stefan made sure there was no evidence of his father's presence, looking right and left multiple times, before he finally braved stepping out of the darkness of his room.

Treading lightly, Stefan made his way quietly down the hall, practiced enough that he could pass over the raised floorboards that would creak if you stepped on them in the right way. Losing his footing, Stefan slipped, landing right on one of the anomalous pieces of wood. Tensing for a few minutes, he waited until he was absolutely positive that no one had heard him before he continued on his way.

Reaching Damon's bedroom door after braving such a dark, treacherous hall always left Stefan with a rather rewarded sense of satisfaction. The best reward, though, was waiting inside. Twisting the knob of the door, lifting the handle in just the right place so it didn't squeak, Stefan crept into Damon's room, noting the still-lit candle flickering, almost dying, on the side table next to Damon's bed. He must have fallen asleep before he could snuff the fire out.

Stefan watched his brother, sleeping peacefully with his mouth just a little open, limbs stretched out, as was his normal way of sleeping. Smiling to himself, Stefan found that he couldn't stay away from his brother for very long. Lifting the covers, Stefan slowly crawled into his brother's bed, arms immediately encircling Damon's waist once he was settled. Damon made a soft noise of pleasure, face moving closer to the familiar warmth that had appeared at his side. A slow, sleepy smile made its way upon his features. "Mm…Smuh…Stefan," Damon murmured, not fully awake.

Taking an absurdly large amount of pleasure from such a welcoming response, Stefan's smile grew larger, eyes softening as he rubbed his lips against Damon's forehead. "Morning, Brother. Sorry I woke you."

Damon slowly blinked his eyes open, crinkling his eyes as the readjusted to the light. "Ah…what the hell, Stefan? I'm pretty sure it's not morning yet," he announced, slowly gathering his bearings.

Stefan shrugged sheepishly. "I…uh, I had trouble falling asleep. You know, it happens sometimes. Usually when you're away for too long." Stefan tried to keep the hurt inflection from his tone, but failed.

Damon's eyes widened minutely. Staring at Stefan, Damon shook his head slowly, reassuring smile appearing. "Oh, Stefan, seriously. You really think I choose to go out on these stupid 'educational trips' father sends me off to? Trust me, I'd rather be here. With someone else." Damon's smile turned teasing. "Looks like that someone's rather attached to me."

Stefan couldn't lose the serious edge to his voice. "Much more than attached," he whispered helplessly. He tightened his grip around Damon's waist. "So attached," he murmured, digging his face into his brother's hair, "that I can't bear to live in a world without you."

The tempo of Damon's heartbeat increased. He wasn't prepared for such serious conversation at such an early hour of the morning. Instinctually, Damon ran a comforting hand through Stefan's hair, kissing his temple. "Stefan, you know I feel the same," Damon whispered, draping an arm around his brother's neck.

Body trembling with the force of his emotions, Stefan nodded once. "Yes," he responded, voice low, "but I'm afraid. I think Father is catching on. What if…what if he takes you away from me?" he asked, almost suffering a panic attack at the thought. In a world without Damon, Stefan was useless. There was no life until Damon was there.

Damon's hold tightened on his brother. "Stefan," he whispered soothingly, kissing at different parts of Stefan's face, "Stefan, Stefan. The only thing that could separate us," he stated, pulling back and staring deeply into Stefan's eyes, "is death. I will never let you go," he said softly, smiling lovingly.

Stefan drew in a shaky, reassured breath. "Even if you try, I'll keep holding on," he responded, snuggling his face into his brother's chest, more relaxed and peaceful than the entire two weeks he'd had to spend without Damon.

Damon let out a grateful sigh, knowing this was a signal that Stefan was ready to fall asleep now. Kissing Stefan's lips just once, Damon curled into his brother, settling in enough to fall back asleep. Father be damned; he was sleeping, just this once, with his brother tonight.

Lying awake in bed, Damon stared up at the ceiling, fully aware of the young, teenage boy whose arm was currently resting under his head, other arm draped possessively over his bare stomach. Studying the child, Damon wondered if his decision to date this boy was too hasty. Yes, he craved male contact, but it wasn't worth it if this would bring up unwanted, tender memories of the past.

Sighing, Damon ran a hand across his anguished face. He thought he'd hidden all those memories deep down inside himself, only available at his most vulnerable moments. This, certainly, was not a vulnerable moment. Damon had made sure of it.

So why the sudden memory relapse? Damon could still feel his brother's arms around him, still taste his lips, as if this had happened a second ago, not a hundred years. A tiny tear made its way down his cheek; angrily, he swiped at it, hating the weakness this showed. He'd given Stefan up. Stefan was not even an option; probably never had been. He should have known this from the beginning. So what was wrong with him now?

Shaking his head, Damon realised this was something that needed to be ignored, not reflected upon. Pushing Jeremy's arm off of his body, Damon made his way to the bathroom, getting ready for the day, pointedly ignoring the direction his thoughts wished to take him and instead thinking of what he would do for breakfast.

The first sexual experience between Damon and Stefan began as an accident. It started out as one of those regular nights where Stefan wasn't strong enough to bear the night without his brother present; this was becoming a regular thing, as Stefan was finding it harder and harder to be away from Damon.

Stefan, having just reached the peak of puberty, a strapping fourteen year-old with the height of 6 feet, tiptoed his old familiar route across the hall down to his brother's room. As usual, he opened the door just the way he'd learned, making no noise. After years of practice, Stefan was a genius at this business. The whole operation seemed rather routine; the only difference Stefan could pinpoint was the sound emitting from his brother's bed.

Now, as a pubescent, teenage boy, Stefan understood male urges. He could relate to other boys of his age who felt compelled, at times, to wank off, when their needs became too strong to ignore. Stefan was fully aware of all this, yet it still did nothing to calm his fast-tempoed heartbeat, flushing cheeks, and suddenly very alert penis at the sight of his brother, legs parted to reveal his hand wrapped around his own penis, emitting low, moaning sounds that went straight to Stefan's erection.

For a moment, Stefan was in awe of such a beautiful display, intermittently letting his gaze travel from Damon's flush, perfect dick; to his beautiful legs, flinching, toes curling at the pleasure of his own ministrations; to his chest, rising and falling quickly as he breathed shallowly and sporadically; to his face, lips parted so invitingly, eyes shut against his ecstasy, entire skin flushed a subdued red.

Stefan found it unbearable to be away from his brother a minute longer. Striding quickly to Damon's bedside, Stefan bent, cradling his brother's pleading face in his hands, placing an earnest, love-filled kiss on Damon's open lips. For a few moments, Damon allowed this as a vivid daydream, hand increasing its speed as he moaned deliciously. Stefan hopped onto the bed, overcome with lust as he rested above Damon's body, both now horizontal, still kissing. Stefan batted his brother's hand away, replacing it with his own, and suddenly he regretted this rash decision.

For, as his hand rushed across the beautifully soft skin, thumb kneading the head at moments, Stefan realised his own erection was left unattended. Which would just not do. Stefan, conceding to this fact, was determined to remedy the situation. He let his lips trail from Damon's to his neck, sucking at the skin before moving on, leaving a trail of red marks before ending at the skin right above Damon's now weeping penis. Whimpering, Damon twisted his fingers in Stefan's hair, needing attention returned to his dick. Stefan was all too ready to comply.

Without much ceremony, Stefan placed his hands on Damon's hips before his mouth enveloped the head of Damon's penis, sucking. Damon's involuntary reaction was to writhe underneath his brother's hold, biting back his moan of ecstasy as his grip on Stefan's hair tightened. Stefan moved further down, deep-throating his brother's erection until he held the entire entity inside his mouth. He twirled his tongue around the object, experimenting. When Damon made more moaning sounds, Stefan added a bit of gentle teeth. This got Damon writhing almost violently, unable to stop his hips from trying to slam into the warm softness that was Stefan's mouth. Instead of holding his brother back, Stefan cupped Damon's asscheeks, giving him more leverage with which to fuck Stefan's mouth. Damon couldn't hold back a groaning shriek of ecstasy at this, mouth lolling open wantonly. Stefan watched all this, and somewhere throughout this whole business his hand had travelled down to his own neglected erection, timing his own thrusts to Damon's.

In the end, Damon's release was one he wouldn't soon forget. Stefan found it hard to believe that he could come so hard. Breathing heavily after the ordeal, Stefan laying with his arm across Damon's stomach, the older Salvatore brother turned to Stefan. "What the hell just happened?" he asked, seeming to have just come to the realisation of what transpired.

Stefan grinned sleepily. "I just gave you head. What of it?"

Damon started to sputter out a response, but Stefan interrupted him. "Sh…shh…don't think too hard about it, Damon. Just go to sleep…" he murmured, snuggling into his brother's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Damon, floored by how natural this all seemed, decided that for once he would not agonise over every detail and instead take his brother's advice and go to sleep.

Stefan opened his eyes blearily, a little unsure of his surroundings. He wasn't sure if he was still caught up in the memory of his dream as he slowly shifted his head, gazing at the arm around his waist. Definitely feminine. Chewing at his lip, Stefan held back a disappointed groan.

Looking down to his nether regions, Stefan sighed. Memories such as the one he just experienced always left him with an aching erection begging for Damon's attention. Too bad that ship sailed a long time ago. Sighing, Stefan rose slowly, making his way to the bathroom; he hoped his ministrations wouldn't wake Elena. He didn't feel he could keep it up if she joined in.

After he took care of himself, Stefan exited the bathroom, yawning. A voice startled him. "Why didn't you wake me?" Elena's tone, sad and a little offended, came from across the room, where she was currently sitting on the bed with her knees against her chest.

Feeling a tug of guilt in his chest, Stefan made his way to Elena, kissing her sweetly. "Oh, honey, I would have, I just didn't want to disturb you. You looked so…peaceful," he ended lamely, hoping this reason would suffice.

Elena sighed, then forced a smile. "Okay…I just feel a little like I've lost you, Stefan…you've been like this for a while now." Elena's sad stare made Stefan's heart twist on itself. He may not have been in love with her, but he still did love her.

Wrapping his arms around Elena's waist, Stefan breathed deeply as he tried to stop himself from telling Elena the truth. That he'd only gotten in a relationship with her because he was afraid he'd force Damon to admit to his feelings. That he almost wished he'd never even met Elena. That he was in love with his brother.

Lips tightening, Stefan kissed Elena on the head. "I swear, Elena, I'm right here. You're not losing me." ' _Because you already have,_ ' he added internally, sucking in a breath then smiling smoothly. Elena returned it with a real smile.

"Okay…I knew I was being stupid." She kissed Stefan slowly then got up, grabbing her clothes. "I'll meet you outside, okay?"

Stefan refrained from speaking, just smiled again then left the room, scratching at the back of his neck. He really hated lying to Elena. She loved him so much, and he…well, didn't. Nodding a sharp hello to Bonnie, Stefan grabbed a cup of coffee before making his way out to the porch. Caffeine may not have affected him, but it was still a human need he couldn't seem to give up. Taking a large sip of the liquid, Stefan let out the sigh he'd been holding back.

"God, that was a sad sounding sigh." Caroline, walking up and standing beside Stefan, smiled at her friend. "Wanna tell me what that was about?"

Stefan's mouth twisted as he forced himself not to frown. "Oh, just…" Stefan searched for a valid excuse, then, realising how long he had taken to respond, just waved a vague hand.

Caroline's eyebrow rose. "Come on, Stefan, I can tell something's bothering you. It might make you feel better if you get it off your chest." Caroline's understanding smile did nothing for Stefan's bad mood.

"Caroline, I'm fine. Seriously."

Caroline frowned. "Alright, I won't push. Just know, I've got my eye on you," she warned him, before making her way back inside.

Stefan groaned after she was gone. Jesus, now she was on his back. Where could a guy get a break? Staring bleakly into his mug, Stefan debated over whether it really would be a bad idea to tell someone. Sure, Elena was Caroline's friend, but Stefan was too right? He may be breaking her best friend's heart, and be in love with his own brother, and have lied to everyone, but…Stefan's thoughts trailed off as he came to the conclusion, as usual, that the best thing was to try to ignore his undeniable feelings and instead pretend he was happy with his lot in life. Leaning against the railing, Stefan frowned at such a bleak future.

He might have stayed there all day, musing over the unhappy life he would have to lead, if Elena hadn't walked up and wrapped her arms around his bicep. "We all want to go hiking," Elena informed Stefan, resting her head against his shoulder.

Stefan had to wonder if Elena really had asked everyone for their opinion. He knew for a fact that Damon hadn't brought any clothes fit for hiking. Forcing a smile, Stefan looked down at Elena. "Sounds good. When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you two stop making me throw up," Tyler interjected, earning a high five from Damon. Hey, when had they gotten to be buddy-buddy? Stefan turned to see that all their friends were lined up on the porch, ready to leave. Even Damon, dressed in khaki shorts he'd borrowed from Jeremy and a V-neck seemed eager to hike. Belatedly, Stefan remembered his brother's fondness for the outdoors.

"Shut up Tyler," Elena said playfully, taking Stefan's hand and pulling him along. "We're ready, so let's go."

They all started on their way, walking slowly and chatting animatedly as they made their way through the woods. Stefan made sure to walk behind Damon, keeping his eye on his brother as Damon and Jeremy walked close together, Jeremy finding excuses to brush his body against Damon's whenever he could. Stefan bristled.

His fixation was interrupted by Elena tugging at his hand. "Don't Jeremy and Damon seem…a little too close?" she asked warily. So she had noticed it too.

Stefan bit the inside of his mouth. "I…didn't notice anything," he lied, averting his gaze from the two.

Elena sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's my imagination. But I just can't…trust Damon. I know he's your brother, but I still can't stop myself from thinking he's trying to ruin our lives. What if he's using Jeremy to get to me?" Elena's worried look made Stefan's stare narrow.

How dare she accuse Damon of such nefarious schemes? And how narcissistic was she to assume Damon only wanted to get to her? Stefan kneaded his brow, forcing himself not to explode. This wasn't Elena's fault. Stefan hadn't tried to talk Damon up to her; in fact, he'd done the opposite. The last thing he needed was more competition.

Sighing, Stefan gave Elena a look. "Trust me, Elena, Damon has no ulterior motives. I think this is actually the first time he's been happy in a while; he hasn't had a friend in a long time. Just let them be; Damon won't hurt him." ' _But that doesn't mean I won't…_ ' Stefan thought as Jeremy's hand 'accidentally' brushed against Damon's ass. It was all Stefan could do to keep back his possessive growl.

Instead, he pretended that he was happy that Elena was contemplating her perception of Damon. Shit, if she started liking Damon, there was no telling what could happen. "I love you," he said quietly, kissing Elena's head sweetly. If he had to pretend to love her, he might as well make sure she didn't love anyone else.

Elena's eyes turned dreamy as her attention was drawn back to Stefan. "Oh, Stefan, I love you too," she murmured, before Tyler was suddenly in between them, arms around both their shoulders.

"I feel a little left out, guys. Do you love me too, Stefan?" he asked, pouting his lips.

Stefan, relieved, pretended to be annoyed. "Come on, Tyler, lay off."

Damon turned, laughing. "Yeah, Tyler, no one but your mother could love you anyway," he announced, cocking an eyebrow.

Tyler grinned dangerously. "Wanna say that to my face bloodsucker?" he called, stalking forward playfully.

"I already did Lassie," Damon stated, before Tyler was shoving him gently.

The two began throwing mock punches, ducking the obvious ones and catching the unexpected ones in the arms or chests. Laughing, Jeremy joined in, making sure not to hit Damon. "Dude, two against one isn't fair!" Tyler called out, his sign of Uncle.

Damon stepped back, grinning wickedly. "You really think—" was all he got out before Tyler took advantage of the situation and gently punched Damon in the stomach.

Turning to Stefan, Elena raised her eyebrow. "Please tell me you won't join in," she pleaded, already embarrassed enough that her little brother was behaving so childishly.

"Wouldn't think of it, my dear," Stefan responded, before he grinned playfully and was suddenly off. Punching Tyler's shoulder to get him out of the way, Stefan made a flying tackle, bringing Damon down with him. The two laughed, forgetting their feud, as Stefan, above Damon, started tickling him.

"Wait, no, stop, I give up!" Damon burst out around his laughter, trying to cover himself with his hands. Stefan, grinning victoriously, just continued, hands somehow travelling across his stomach, in danger of reaching his hips.

Suddenly, Jeremy was there, pushing Stefan away. "Seriously, Stefan, let up," he said, jealousy in his tone. It would have been absurd if not for the fact that, yes, Stefan was in love with his brother. Not that any of the non-Salvatores here knew that.

Stefan slowly sat back, studying his brother. Damon looked just as astounded as he. Somehow, the two brothers had forgotten their unspoken pact to never touch each other so intimately again; somehow, Stefan didn't give a flying fuck about the pact anymore. Staring at each other, Damon's cheeks reddening and Stefan's penis arousing for duty, the two Salvatores felt their bodies grow limp at such an unexpected and momentous circumstance they had just been through.

Jeremy, sensing a deep connection from between the two, quickly snapped it in half and stomped it into the ground. "Jesus, Stefan, you're looking at Damon like you want to eat him," he bit out, before he was pulling Damon up. "Come on, let's keep going," he told Damon, gaze firm.

"Wai—Damon," Stefan whispered, arm outstretched, but Damon was already being dragged off by Jeremy and Tyler, still looking back at his brother in absolute wonder.

Elena crouched next to her boyfriend, eyebrows raised. "What was that?" she asked in awe, astounded by the contact between the two brothers.

Stefan kept staring after Damon as he slowly rose. "Um…that's how we used to be together as children," Stefan whispered, fond memories returning. He sighed, wishing for lost days he hadn't known to appreciate at the time.

Elena shook her head. "Well, that's nice to know. But you've grown now. You're not the same as when you were five." Stefan turned to Elena, debated over whether he should tell her they'd never grown out of their attachment to each other, then denied the urge. "Anyway, let's get going; everyone else has left us," Elena stated, grabbing Stefan's hand and leading him forward.

Stefan let himself be led, biting his lip as he wished the hand he was holding was stronger, firmer, with a few callouses; in fact, he wished the person with whom he was in a relationship possessed black hair, ice blue eyes, and a superior act to cover up his true feelings.

Damon stared across the fire, watching Stefan and Elena talk quietly. The group, after finishing their hike, had returned to the house, and once it was sufficiently dark enough, they decided to roast marshmallows. They'd set up a fire behind the house, herded together some sticks, and commenced with making s'mores and talking idly.

Damon, his knees drawn up to his chest, sighed quietly. The incident (as he referred to it in his mind) had stuck with him all day, making him a bore to talk to and an unresponsive lump of flesh. Not that that deterred Jeremy. "Want a s'more?" he asked Damon, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Damon grunted, hoping Jeremy would realise he wanted to be alone for now. Jeremy's grin disappeared, a disappointed frown replacing it. "Oh, um, okay. Well, if you wanna join us, you can at any time," he informed Damon before he returned to his station between Bonnie and Tyler.

Damon shook his head. Maybe he'd made a mistake when he let Jeremy kiss him. Now the twit actually thought they were in a relationship. Unwillingly, his eyes flicked back over to Stefan at the thought. He wondered if Stefan had picked up on Jeremy's feelings. He wondered, secretly, if Stefan was jealous.

Banishing these unneeded thoughts, Damon closed his eyes. Yes, the incident had confused the shit out of him. Yes, it had felt a little good to be touched so intimately by Stefan after such a long time. Yes, maybe at the moment it had happened he'd gotten carried away and wished he and Stefan had been alone so the incident could turn into a full-blown disaster. But no, he didn't regret that it had been stopped. Damon had given up those urges a long time ago. He couldn't, never would be able to, give up the feelings he had for Stefan, but he would never act on them. He couldn't.

Sighing, Damon opened his eyes again, only to catch Stefan's. His brother seemed antsy, like all he wanted was to stand up, tear all of Damon's clothes off, and have his way with Damon; Damon shivered in want. God, he wished he could forget their unspoken pact just once, if only for a kiss. But that could never be. Breaking eye contact, Damon made his way over to Jeremy, sitting between him and Tyler.

"Shmamon!" Jeremy exclaimed around his mouthful of marshmallow. Damon nodded, subdued.

Tyler bumped his shoulder. "Hey, man, can vampires eat human food?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden need to know?"

Tyler grinned. "Hell if I know. Or care. So, can they?"

Damon sighed. Picking up the rest of Jeremy's s'more, he turned to Tyler, making sure he watched as he chewed the graham cracker-covered treat. Tyler made sure he swallowed it before he spoke. "What, so you could live off of human food?"

Damon shuddered. "Hell no. Vampires need blood to survive, idiot. That's kind of the definition of being a vampire." He knocked his fist against Tyler's head playfully. "Human food doesn't taste as good as it used to, but we still do taste it. The trouble is, we don't piss out the blood we intake so it's always a surprise to find that we need to take a shit after we eat real food," Damon explained, leaning back.

Tyler laughed. "Dude, gross. Doesn't that mean your shit's gonna be, like, miniscule? That was a tiny bite of s'more, man."

Damon made a face. "I think the topic of shit has been worn out," he stated.

"Yeah," Jeremy interjected, placing a conspicuous hand on Damon's thigh, "let's talk about something else. Like, anything else."

Tyler scoffed. "Real men aren't afraid to talk about their shit," he grinned out. Jeremy and Damon laughed.

Across the fire, Stefan watched and listened to this exchange, biting his lip as he noticed how at ease Damon seemed around the two humans. Long ago, Damon was even more at ease with Stefan himself. The two talked about anything and everything. Now Damon had decided to move on, to speak with others about bowel issues and other things Stefan had been sure only he would hear.

Elena pulled at Stefan's sleeve. "You know, Stefan, we've been here two days now and you haven't made a move yet," she said seductively, watching him through her eyelashes.

Stefan repressed a shudder. "I, um, I…" he said lamely, knowing where this was going.

Elena winked. "It's okay. We'll save it for later," she told him, whispering the words into his ear, "I noticed how horny you were this morning. Maybe I can help."

Across the fire, Stefan watched as Damon suddenly stood up, cheeks red and eyes ablaze. "I, um, who's up for a late night swim?" he asked, carefully avoiding Stefan's gaze.

Jeremy grinned. "Awesome. It'll give me a chance to show off my pecs," he stated, staring meaningfully at Damon, who, caught up in not paying attention to Stefan and Elena, didn't notice.

"Dude, my pecs are totally better than yours," Tyler stated, tearing his shirt off to prove it.

Laughing despite his obvious discomfort, Damon pushed Tyler forward. "Dude, don't strip out here; some of us might want to keep the contents of our stomachs inside our bodies."

Tyler grinned. "Lies," he crowed, before he ran toward the house. "Last one in is an ugly vampire!"

"First one in is a narcissistic lap dog!" Damon responded before he let Jeremy lead him to the house.

Elena smiled. "Maybe while they're swimming, we could…" she trailed her finger across Stefan's chest.

"I think we should go swimming too," Stefan blurted out, standing so abruptly Elena lost her balance. At her flabbergasted look, Stefan realised he'd have to expand his sentence. "We don't want them to walk in on us…" he trailed off, gazing meaningfully down at Elena. She nodded quickly. "Good. Then let's get going," he told her, turning around, forgetting he was supposed to be a good boyfriend and help Elena up. He was too excited to be seeing Damon shirtless again to keep up his facade.

"Well, Damon, you must be the ugly vampire," Tyler called out around his grin, paddling in place. The whole group, discluding Damon, had made it to the water and were now hurling out catcalls to the unfortunate vampire.

"Come on, guys, Tyler played dirty. He locked me in my room. I had to break the door handle," Damon explained. He looked pleadingly at Jeremy. "Come on, Jer," he called, begging to be pitied.

"Well, maybe we should leave him alone," Jeremy started, caving.

"Did I mention the loser has to skinny dip?" Tyler let slip, looking at Jeremy sideways. The shrewd kid seemed to have picked up on Jeremy's feelings.

"On second thought, a deal's a deal, Damon," Jeremy blurted out, jumping at the chance to see Damon naked.

Stefan, silent until this point, suddenly spoke up. "You know, Damon, we won't blame you if you don't jump. We will, however, not refrain from calling you a pussy," he called slyly. He knew Damon was practically intolerant of the term.

True to form, Damon's expression grew cold. "I've never been a pussy in my entire life, and I'm not planning on it now," he declared icily. Without much ceremony, Damon whipped his swim trunks off, all of the girls squealing and averting their eyes. Jeremy and Stefan practically salivated at the sight of Damon's southern region. Tyler looked on indifferently.

Damon quickly jumped into the water, staying in place when he resurfaced. "I can put my shorts back on, right?" he asked. "My dick's shriveling up on itself," he explained, hands cupped around his penis. Jeremy's and Stefan's erections, already aching, twitched at Damon's careless words.

"Nah, dude, you have to stay naked until we get out," Tyler yelled, grinning toothily.

"You boys are unbelievable," Bonnie commented, giving Damon the stink eye.

Tyler grinned lasciviously at her. "Maybe, but now you know Damon has a big cock," he stated, before he was suddenly dunked underwater. Damon had used the time to make his way back over to the group and took advantage of Tyler while his guard was down. When Tyler resurfaced, he was spluttering up water. "Dude, no big deal!" he exclaimed, splashing some water in Damon's face, "It's not like anybody here is dying to see you naked." He looked over at Jeremy, then whispered in Damon's ear, "At least, nobody we know of."

Damon raised an eyebrow. So, Tyler knew. How awkward. "Want me to beat your ass?" he said quietly, only half-joking.

Tyler grinned dangerously. "Any time," he responded, eyes dancing.

"Okay, break it up you two, come on." Jeremy was suddenly in between them, pulling Damon away from Tyler. "You don't like him, do you?" he whispered in Damon's ear, worried.

Damon raised an eyebrow. He was tempted to ask "So what if I am?" but instead smiled reassuringly. "The only chance Tyler would have with me was if he wasn't such a fucktard," he announced loudly, turning to Tyler and grinning, "thankfully, that's never going to happen."

"Alright, lemme at him!" Tyler crowed, making his way to Damon and pulling him under; Damon took Tyler with him.

The two wrestled a little underwater, making sure Damon's penis went untouched, before Tyler finally had to resurface for air; it was a good thing he did, for Stefan had become so jealous he was contemplating tearing Tyler's head off. And Jeremy's, just for good measure.

"I win," Damon stated, grinning.

"Only by default. I totally would have beaten your ass if I didn't need air," Tyler said, also grinning.

Caroline interceded. "Look, as much as I love to have my boyfriend's time monopolized by a vampire I detest, I'd like to spend some quality time with him before he turns into your follower. Ta." With that, she turned, taking Tyler with her.

Bonnie turned to Matt, who had been curiously silent throughout most of the trip (no, I really forgot about him and am now adding him in awkwardly). "You, uh…wanna go see if there's any more beers at the house?" she asked him, fluttering her eyelashes. Matt readily agreed, and the two were gone.

"And then there were four…" Damon murmured, watching Matt and Bonnie make their way toward the house. "Who knew the ice bitch had it in her to come onto a guy?" he said to Jeremy. The two laughed, Jeremy conveniently forgetting his previous attachment to Bonnie.

"Stefan, maybe we should make good on my promise," Elena whispered, kissing Stefan on the cheek.

Stefan was busy scrutinizing Damon and Jeremy, checking to see if Jeremy was about to make a move. He didn't think he could deal with that. "Huh?" he asked, too caught up in his task to listen.

Elena's eyes narrowed. "You know, Stefan, if you don't want to have sex with me you can just tell me," she announced. Damon's and Jeremy's heads snapped up at the sentence. Jeremy's face twisted, definitely not wanting to have to hear this.

Stefan's eyes widened. "Um, Elena, maybe this isn't the best place. Let's…go to the shore," he stated, hoping he could use the time swimming to come up with an excuse not to sleep with her.

Elena didn't look very happy, but conceded wordlessly. Damon looked on, mouth a hard line. Jeremy noticed. "You, um…you don't actually think my sister has sex, right?" Jeremy asked, wishing for the impossible.

Damon stared at Jeremy. "If you don't want to accept the truth, I'm not going to try to tell it to you," he said, turning to study the sky.

Jeremy followed his gaze. "Well, it's not like I'm denying it or anything, I just…don't want to think about it. Nobody does. I mean, you don't want to think about Stefan having sex, right?"

Damon choked on air. Fuck, he didn't want those images in his mind right now, especially after how vulnerable the incident had left him. Shaking his head, Damon glared at Jeremy. "You're kind of pissing me off right now, man," he proclaimed, sighing.

Jeremy's eyes widened, expression turning panicked. "Oh, um…sorry! I, um…I'll shut up now." Jeremy turned to the side, staring forlornly down at the water.

Damon sighed. He'd been perfectly fine with treating Jeremy like shit until the kid had to go and make him feel guilty. Tilting Jeremy's head so that he was looking at Damon, the vampire leaned forward, placing his lips softly on Jeremy's. The kid, overly-excited, wrapped his arms around the vampire's waist, having to kick harder at the water to keep them afloat. ' _That's what's wrong with this kid_ ,' Damon thought, halfheartedly kissing back, ' _he never knows when to hold back. He's too horny_.'

A noise alerted Damon. Pulling away from Jeremy, he looked around for the source. Jeremy kept his eyes closed and lips pursed, hoping Damon would return. He'd almost worked up the nerve to reach down to Damon's available penis. Sighing, Damon noticed the telltale ring of his phone from the shore. Looking back to the still awaiting Jeremy, Damon smiled, amused. "My phone's ringing, man. I'd better go check it."

Jeremy nodded, eyes morose. "Yeah, okay, alright," he answered, disappointed.

Jesus, relationships were hard. Raising an eyebrow, Damon kissed Jeremy's cheek to see if that would do anything. The teenager immediately responded, grinning at the unexpected sign of affection. "Maybe I'll go with you," Jeremy said, suddenly shy.

Damon sighed. ' _You give this kid an inch, he takes it as a sign that you love him_ ,' Damon thought to himself. "Yeah, sure," he responded, even though the phone had already stopped ringing. Maybe the person would call back.

The two swam to the shore, Damon holding back so Jeremy could keep up. When they finally reached sand, Damon's phone had already rung three times. Snatching up his trunks and phone in the process, Damon answered it as he pulled his shorts up, mindful of the teenage boy salivating a few feet away. "Yeah, yeah, what the hell do you want?" he said into the phone, irritated.

"Jesus, Damon, don't you know that when your phone's ringing nonstop something's wrong?" Alaric's voice called over the phone.

Damon smirked. "Sorry, Ric, previous engagement. Now are you going to stop bitching or should I hang up on you?" he asked, only half-kidding.

Alaric huffed out a breath. "Seriously, Damon, you get on my nerves. Anyway, you should probably get over here, like, right away. Serious shit is happening."

Damon sighed, long and loud. "Alaric. I'm on vacation. I'm sure that you can handle whatever's got your panties in a bundle."

Alaric's tone was bristled. "What do you think I've been doing, idiot? Look, all I'm saying is, that bitch who looks like Elena is running around, making life a living hell. I've…run into her a few times, and each time wasn't pretty. She keeps saying she's looking for you."

By 'run into her' Damon inferred she'd beaten Alaric up more than once. Alaric's pride had been just a little bit squashed. Damon smirked but held back a snide comment. "What, she needs help braiding her hair? Look, I'll probably be back in two days, can you please keep Queen Bitch on a leash until then?" Damon started to hang up.

"No, Damon, wait!" Alaric's panicked voice brought the phone back to Damon's ear.

"This better be good," Damon responded.

"Oh, it is, honey. Maybe you better get over here before your best friend loses his life?" Katherine's ice cold voice chilled Damon's veins. "Or maybe you'd like to come home to his lifeless body? You always were a sadist like me, weren't you Damon?"

Damon's speech faltered, his eyes staring out across the ocean as Jeremy watched, confused. "You better not lay one fucking fingernail on him, you sack of shit," Damon whispered, tone deadly, expression calm. His eyes were blazing a furious heat behind his frozen blue irises.

"Ah ah ah," Katherine sung out. A grunt of pain could be heard from her end.

"Fuck!" Damon bit out. He wondered what exactly she'd done to Alaric.

"That's right. You better not test me or someone's bound to get hurt. So, are you willing to hear me out now?"

Damon bit down hard on his lip, drawing blood. How could he have ever had feelings for this psycho bitch? "Just tell me what you fucking want," he breathed out, turning away from the ocean and striding toward the house.

Katherine laughed. "Meet me at our spot. You know the one. I'll tell you the rest when you get there." The phone went dead.

Stuffing his phone in his pocket, Damon quickened his pace. Behind him, Jeremy was running to catch up. "Wait! Wait, Damon, what's going on? Damon!"

Whipping around, Damon tried to calm his gaze. "Look, Jeremy, right now, I can't tell you. Just listen to me. Keep everyone here until I tell you to come back; I'll call you. Please, promise me you'll stay here. Please?" Damon forced his expression to soften.

Jeremy frowned. "Damon…I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered, hugging his arms to his chest.

Damon shook his head. The one Jeremy needed to worry about was Alaric. "I'll be fine. I promise." Walking quickly up to the teenager, Damon placed a quick kiss on his lips before he turned, running back to the house. Jeremy watched the vampire go, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He had a sickening feeling in his gut that told him he should have tried harder to stop Damon from going.


End file.
